New A Clay Aiken Christmas Review

The San Francisco Chronicle posted this review of last year's A Clay Aiken Christmas DVD today.

A CLAY AIKEN CHRISTMAS

Clay Aiken was made for Christmas. Possibly in a lab. Think about it: He's a pinch of Charlie Brown, a dash of Hermey the wannabe dentist, bits of Bing and Perry Como and Johnny Mathis (and scraps of Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand and Cindy Lou Who). Originally aired in 2004 as an NBC special (Megan Mullally has mysteriously disappeared from the DVD version), Aiken's one-hour, nine-song show has the "American Idol" runner-up and his guests casually wandering around an overdecorated living room set crammed with seasonal signifiers -- you've got your frosted windowpanes, candles glowing, etc. It starts out with a gimmicky postmodern opener, pulling back to show how the "illusion" is created, but that's dropped pretty quickly in favor of the traditionally goopy format of Christmas shows of yore. Determinedly dorky in a droopy pea-soup-green sweater and saggy jeans, clear-voiced Aiken keeps it simple and unpretentious for the most part, only occasionally succumbing to the scourge of the age -- that unnecessary melisma beloved of "American Idol" singers. He hands off "White Christmas" to Barry Manilow (they have matching baby-chick 'dos), who is off-puttingly showbizzy in contrast. The disc's only extra is a behind-the-scenes short of Aiken and the on-set audience being bossed around by the director. -- Joe Brown

Clay Aiken
A Clay Aiken Christmas
2004
Rca
$14.98